
LEIGHA STILES
Artist Statement
Leigha Stiles (b. Pembroke, Ontario) is a multi-disciplinary artist currently working in wearable sculptures and performance art, as well as painting, printmaking, and new media. Stiles is a MFA graduate from the University of Ottawa and a BFAH graduate from Queen’s University.
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Her work explores themes of mental health, the physical representation of mental illness, and expressive self-portraiture. After going through an episode of psychosis, she was diagnosed with a mood disorder and a year later was diagnosed with epilepsy. Through her work she represents her personal experiences with managing her mental health.
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Stiles has had her work exhibited in different venues including Gallery 115, Ottawa School of Art, Union Gallery, the Print Pulse 30: Travelling Exhibition, Cezanne’s Closet fundraising event, the Undergraduate Review, the Queen’s Feminist Review and Visio Magazine.
Artist CV
Education
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2024 Master of Fine Arts, University of Ottawa. Ottawa, Ontario.
Visual Arts
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2018 Bachelor of Fine Art Honours, Queen’s University. Kingston, Ontario.
Advanced Printmaking. QU, 2016
Paint Media, QU, 2017
Exhibited Works
2023-2024 Want more?, Does this please you?, How about now?, Connective Gallery group exhibition, Picturing the Invisible. Nepean Creative Arts Centre, Ottawa, ON.
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2023. Confined, Gallery 115 solo exhibition, Ottawa, ON.
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2023 Hey Sweetheart, Vibes. Matasi Gallery at the Ottawa School of Art, New Direction in Printmaking. Ottawa, Ontario.
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2022 My Mentality, Sad Me. Gallery 115 group exhibition, Fragmented Connections. Ottawa, Ontario.
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2019 Raggiana. Union Gallery group exhibition, Re:Union. Kingston, Ontario.
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2019 My Mentality. Kingston Coffee House, Artist of the month. Kingston, Ontario.
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2018 (un)wavering. BFA 18 Group Exhibition, (un)titled. Kingston, Ontario.
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2018 Yours. Union Gallery group exhibition, Course of Action. Kingston, Ontario.
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2018 Vibes. Union Gallery group exhibition, Surface. Kingston, Ontario.
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2017 Hey Sweetheart. Print Pulse 30: travelling group exhibition,Arts and Media Lab at the Isabel Bader Centre of performing Arts. Kingston, Ontario.
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2016 Blank. Union Gallery group exhibition, Reveal. Kingston Ontario.
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2016 Self-y. Union Gallery off-site exhibition, curated by Madeleine Leisk. Kingston Frameworks, Kingston, Ontario.
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Commissions
Public
2021 Destinations, Apostasy, Cezanne's Closet, Union Gallery. Kingston, Ontario.
Annual fundraiser for gallery, artwork donated.
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2020 Terpenes, Chrontact Cannabis, Ottawa, Ontario.
Four acrylic 3ft x 2ft paintings of terpene chemical compounds.
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2016 Art Battle, The Royal Society of Canada, Kingston, Ontario.
Acrylic painting completed in 2hrs.
Publications
2020 Yours Series, Visio Magazine volume. 1 issue. 4
Kingston, Ontario. Digital and print magazine.
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2020 Organized Chaos, Visio Magazine, volume. 1 issue. 3
Kingston, Ontario. Digital and print magazine.
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2020 My Mentality, Visio Magazine, volume. 1, issue. 1
Kingston, Ontario. Digital and print magazine.
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2019 Malasia, Show and Tell: The Art of Storytelling. Kingston, Ontario. 17, print.
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2017 You like?, Do you like me now?, Does this please you?, How about now?
Collective Reflections, Volume 4. Queen’s University, Kingston. 18, 19, 85. Print.
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2016 Barn Yard, Before, Bridge of Serendipity, Utopia, and Fairy Spirit
Undergraduate Review, Volume 28. Queen’s University, Kingston. 48, 58, 63, 85. Print.
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Grants
2020 Special Merit Scholarship, University of Ottawa.
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2015 Gerald Finley Bursary in Fine Arts, Queen's University
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2014 William and Patricia Sheets Memorial Entrance Bursary, Queen's University.
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